Athletes often wear helmets and pads to protect themselves from injury. But they also need to protect their mouth and teeth while they play contact sports. Custom-fit sports guards cover athletes’ teeth and act as shock absorbers to protect their mouths from injuries caused by playing sports.
1. You Get a Perfect Fit
Custom mouthguards aren’t a one-size-fits-all item. A custom-fit sports guard is designed to suit the exact shape and size of your teeth and mouth. Your dentist takes an impression of your mouth using an impression tray and alginate. The impression is sent to a lab where they construct the mouthguard.
Your dentist can determine what kind of sports guard you need based on your dental history and the sports you play. Heavier contact sports like football and boxing require thicker mouth guards to handle the impact.
Your dentist will ensure you’re satisfied with how your mouthguard fits and ensure it doesn’t need any adjustments.
2. More Comfortable to Wear
A sports guard designed for your mouth is more comfortable to wear than generic guards available in sporting goods stores. It won’t dig into your cheek or gum line, causing irritation or discomfort.
The ArmourBite Mouthguard even offers form-fitting EVA power wedges for a more comfortable bite. The EVA offers shock absorption while keeping your jaw aligned and fitting snugly against your teeth.
Players are more likely to wear a comfortably fitting sports guard. This is especially true for adolescents, who may decide to remove an uncomfortable generic sports guard if it’s causing them discomfort.
3. Offers You Full Protection
Custom-fit sports guards offer the best protection. They cover all your teeth and protect your jaw and teeth from trauma during an impact to the sides or front of your mouth. A custom sports guard like the PlaySafe Mouthguard allows users to choose between 6 levels of protection, with mouthguard thicknesses ranging from 3.0 mm to 5.0 mm.
Your mouthguard absorbs the shock from contact. A mouthguard with a thickness of 3 mm or thicker can help protect you from concussive injury by keeping your upper and lower jaws and teeth properly separated.
Your sports guard protects your mouth from lacerations to soft tissue during impact and cushions your teeth to prevent fractures and dislocations from occurring. A mouthguard also protects braces, retainers, and restorations in your mouth from impact and damage.
4. Saves You Money Long-Term
Custom sports guards have a higher initial cost than the one-size-fits-all models, but investing in a custom-fit guard is a better long-term strategy. Your custom mouthguard lasts longer than a generic or boil-and-bite style guard, saving you money from repeat purchases. The PlaySafe Mouthguard even offers a 6-month warranty if adjustments are needed.
You’ll also be saving money using your custom-fit guard by avoiding dental injury and expensive dental procedures. Studies found that players wearing custom-fit mouth guards have much lower rates of dental injury than players not wearing guards.
Get Fitted for a Custom Sports Guard at Aurora Dental Group
The American Dental Association recommends that athletes of any age playing low to high contact sports wear a sports guard to protect their mouth and teeth.
A custom-fit mouthguard offers athletes the best comfort and protection from dental injury. Aurora Dental Group offers residents in Illinois custom-fitted ArmourBite Mouthguards and PlaySafe Mouthguards. Both models offer the highest level of protection and superior fit and let you customize the color of your mouthguard. Contact our practice today to learn more and book an appointment.
